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June 28, 1955 w. G. LEGGE FOOTWEAR CONTAINING BODY GROUNDING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 25. 1952 f2 fsf /6 A JNVENTOR. urg 6. 606 Y BY June 28, 1955 w. G. LEGGE 2,712,099

FOOTWEAR CONTAINING BODY GROUNDING MEANS Filed Feb. 25, 1952, 2 SheeviLs-Sheel 2 United Zilli ffice attentati une 2S,

FOOTWEAR CNTAINING BODY GRUNDING MEANS W aiter G. Legge, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application February 23, 1952, Serial No. 273,064

2 Claims. (Cl. 317-2) This invention relates to an article of footwear having electrostatic body grounding means embodied therein.

An object of the invention is to provide an article of footwear having body grounding means embodied in the tread portion and exposed on the under side thereof for contact with a supporting surface and which is adapted to engage with the foot of the wearer for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to 'the supporting surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of footwear of said character having a resistor formed as a part of the grounding means and consisting of a safety fuse to prevent the passage of a current of high amperage which would injure the wearer in the event that the exposed portion of the grounding means carne into contact with a source of high potential.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article ot' footwear of said character in which the grounding means is of sufficiently high resistance to prevent the passage of a high arnperage current.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a shoe having body grounding means embodied therein in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an under side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with a portion of the outer and inner soles broken away to show the underlying parts.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately on line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of a shoe illustrating a modified form of body grounding means embodied therein.

Fig. 6 is an under side view thereof.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a reduced longitudinal sectional view of a rubber overshoe having body grounding means embodied therein.

Fig. 9 is a reduced under side view thereof.

Fig. l0 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference and more particularly to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 4 inclusive thereof, the footwear 10 is shown as consisting of a low shoe but the same may be a high shoe or boot and the like which is provided with a tread portion consisting of a sole 11 and heel 12 having openings 13 and 14 through which protrude metallic grounding members 15 and 16 respectively. The said grounding members have enlarged annular upper ends 17 and 18 supported on the upper face of the sole and heel 11 and 12 respectively for retaining the grounding members in position in said openings.

Arranged within the shoe 1t) are superposed upper and lower inner soles 20 and 21 which extend over the area of the sole and heel 11 and 12 and are supported thereupon. The lower inner sole 21 is formed with annular recesses 22 and 23 in the under side thereof located rnedially above the grounding members 15 and 16 respectively for receiving the enlarged annular upper ends` 17 and 1S of said grounding members. The upper inner sole 2d is formed with one or more openings extending vertically through the forward and heel portions thereof and in the present embodiment two such openings 25 are provided in the forward portion and two such openings 26 in the heel portion which are located adjacent the opposite side edges of the inner soles. Metallic contact members 27 and 2S are arranged in said openings for contact with the sole of the foot of the wearer for receiving electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer, An endless metallic conductor 3G is arranged between the upper and lower inner soles 2) and 21 and extends continuously thereabout adjacent the peripheral edges thereof and under the metallic members 27 and 28, to which the conductive member 3i! is secured, preferably by welding the same thereto. The conductor 3i) is connected with the grounding members 15 and 16 by short conductor leads 31 and 32 which are preferably welded or soldered thereto to thereby complete the circuit for conducting electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer to the supporting surface.

ln order to prevent the passage of a suiiiciently high current from the grounding members 15 and 16 to the contact members 27 and 28 which would endanger the life of the wearer in the event that either of the grounding members 15 and 16 came into contact with a high voltage conductor, resistors 34 and 35 are connected between said grounding and contact members in the conductor leads 31 and 32. The resistors 34 and 35 are essentially safety fuses and each consists of a resistance which will prevent an excessive current flowing therethrough. Normally the resistance would be 250,000 ohms but the same may vary from 25,00() ohms to 500,000 ohms depending upon the use to be made of the footwear.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive of the drawings, the footwear 38 is also shown as consisting of a low shoe but the same may be a high shoe or boot and the like which is provided with the usual tread portion consisting of a sole 39 and heel 4t) having openings 41 and 42 therethrough respectively through which protrude metallic grounding members 43 and 44. The grounding members 43 and 44 are similar to the grounding members 17 and 18 in the previous form of the invention and have enlarged upper ends 45 and 46 respectively for retaining the grounding members in position in said openings with the lower ends thereof disposed in protruding relation for engagement with a supporting surface.

Arranged within the shoe 3S is an inner sole 47 consisting of a layer of conductive material overlying the sole 39 and heel 4i) of the shoe tread. The inner sole 47 is of rubber composition having finely divided graphite, carbon and the like mixed therewith so as to conduct electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer through the grounding members 43 and 44 to the supporting surface. The resistance to the passage of current through the inner sole 47 may be varied by the amount of y graphite, carbon and the like mixed therewith. The

inner sole may have a resistance of 250,000 ohms which will prevent an excessive current flowing therethrough which might endanger the wearer in the event that the protruding ends of the grounding members 43 and 44 came into Contact with a high potention conductor. However, the resistance of the inner sole may be varied 3 from 25,000 ohms to 500,000 ohms depending upon the use to be made of the footwear.

The shoes 10 and 38 in the two forms of the invention illustrated herein are particularly adapted for use in dry weather or when the wearer is not engaged in a wet or soggy ground condition which might render the shoe conductive. In order to render the shoes 10 and 38 adaptable for use in wet or soggy ground conditions a rubber overshoe 5) indicated in Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive of the drawings is provided having an opening 51 and 52 in the sole and heel portion 53 and 54 of the tread thereof which openings 51 and 52 are arranged in underlying relation with the grounding members 17 and 18 and 43 and 44 in said shoes respectively. Arranged in said openings 51 and 52 and bonded to the tread of the overshoe are conductive tread portions S5 and 56 respectively which extend through the said openings 51 and 52 and under the sole and heel portions 53 and 54. The conductive tread portions 5S and 56 may consist of rubber composition similar to the inner sole 47 in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive of the drawings, having graphite, carbon and the like mixed therewith for conducting electrostatic charges from the grounding members through the said conductive sole portions to the supporting surface.

What is claimed is:

1. In a body grounding device, an article of footwear having an outer sole and heel provided with openings therethrough, metallic grounding members arranged in said openings and protruding beyond the outer faces of said sole and heel for contact with a supporting surface, upper and lower inner soles arranged within said shoe, a metallic conductor located between said upper and lower inner soles and extending continuously thereabout adjacent the periphery thereof and connected with said grounding members, conductor members arranged within said article of footwear and exposed for Contact with the foot of the wearer, said upper and lower inner soles having openings through which said last mentioned conductor members and said grounding members extend respectively, and resistors located between said upper and lower inner soles and connecting said conductor members and said metallic conductor for preventing a high electrical charge passing from said grounding members to the foot of the wearer.

2. In a body grounding device, an article of footwear having an outer tread portion provided with an opening therethrough, a metallic grounding member arranged in said opening protruding therebeyond for contact with a supporting surface, upper and lower inner soles arranged within said article of footwear, a metallic conductor 1ocated between said upper and lower inner soles, a conductor member connected with said grounding member and exposed for contact with the foot of the wearer, and a resistor located between said upper and lower inner soles and connected between said metallic conductor and said conductor member for preventing a high electrical charge passing from said grounding member to the foot of the wearer.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,047,838 Smith July 14, 1936 2,261,072 Monahan Oct. 28, 1941 2,279,094 Siers Apr. 7, 1942 2,325,414 McChesney July 27, 1943 2,407,189 Taber Sept. 3, 1946 2,586,747 Van Atta Feb. 19, 1952 

